


felt so crystal in the air

by dragonharps (StarlightNyx)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Agender Character, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon Non-Binary Character, Families of Choice, Friendship, Gen, Non-Verbal Frisk, Post-Pacifist Route, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 15:13:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5421740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightNyx/pseuds/dragonharps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For so long, Chara has been nothing more than a guiding hand in Frisk's mind, a teasing voice inside their head. Frisk has never seen them—up until now, of course, and their heart twists at the sight. Not because it's surprising, or because they're angry at seeing them—no, because Chara… Chara's barely older than them, probably, their shirt hanging low on their hips and their eyes following the horizon but unseeing and blank.</p>
            </blockquote>





	felt so crystal in the air

**Author's Note:**

> title is from 'shelter' by the xx. basically im sad and chara means a lot to me.

After a while standing there in silence, watching the sunset, Toriel excuses herself, bowing her head and laughing as the sun dips beneath the clouds to hide for the rest of the night. Frisk is left alone studying the painted sky, the stars starting to sprinkle throughout the darkening spread.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” someone asks, with a sad sort of smile. They swing their legs over the edge of the cliff, palm resting against their cheek.

For so long, Chara has been nothing more than a guiding hand in Frisk's mind, a teasing voice inside their head. Frisk has never seen them—up until now, of course, and their heart twists at the sight. Not because it's surprising, or because they're angry at seeing them—no, because Chara… Chara's barely older than them, probably, their shirt hanging low on their hips and their eyes following the horizon but unseeing and blank.

Frisk's fingers twitch. They both sign and think it; _I want to save you, too_.

Chara laughs, shakes their head in disbelief. “You can't. There's barely anything left of me to be saved, and besides…” They sigh. “I'm fine, just like this. Someone has to—”

They pause, looking up at Frisk. Their cheeky smile and flushed cheeks are replaced with a silent stare, an audible swallow.

“Anyways—I don't want to be saved. Why would I?” Chara pulls their knees beneath their chin, tracing circles in the dirt. “Frisk, you can't save everyone.”

_But I want to._

They laugh again, like it's so easy to do it even when they're wincing, grin see-through and weak. “Please… just let me go. Okay? I don't _deserve_ to be saved.”

 _Everyone does_ , Frisk protests. They take a seat beside Chara, twisting their lips into a grimace. _Especially you_.

“Stop, Frisk.” It's biting and harsh, and Chara gulps, eyes shining. Their voice cracks when they add, “Please”, and they wipe away the tear that's starting to form.

Frisk knows they're not really there, but they lurch forwards to wrap their arms around them anyways. Chara, surprisingly, doesn't object—they don't reciprocate, of course, but they don't shove Frisk away. They choke on a sob, and finally just cry, wailing into Frisk's shoulder.

“I'm sorry,” they whisper in between the sniffs and yells. “I'm so sorry—”

Their fingers finally collapse onto Frisk's shoulders, arms quaking against them. Their entire body quivers just the slightest bit, hiccups escaping into Frisk's neck. Frisk strokes their back through it, chewing back a few cries of their own.

Eventually Chara falls silent, but by then the sky has darkened considerably and the stars are upon them. Frisk is surprised no one else has come back yet, to see if they're okay—still, they'd just like to stay like this a while longer.

They reach for the locket wrapped around Chara's neck when they pull backwards, face red and tear tracks staining their face—though they quickly sniff and wipe them away. _Where is this from?_

Chara's face lights at the question; they appear to be holding back on some of their glee. “Dad—I mean, Asgore gave it to me after a few months I… lived with them. Azzy had a matching one.”

Maybe Chara was—troubled, or whatever. Maybe they weren't a good person, or so they themself claimed. But… at the end of the day, Frisk thought, they were just a normal kid. Like them.

Chara shakes their head. “I mean—” They scrape their fingers along their legs, biting down hard on their lip. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean...”

_Didn't mean what?_

“To—do… that.”

 _Talk about your family?_ Frisk smiles, and pats them on the shoulder.

“They—” Chara swallows. “Yeah. They're… they were my family, before I let them all down. I can still taste the blood in my mouth.”

Frisk can, too. It's a metallic taste, copper seeping through their tongue and teeth. They reach for Chara's hand, intertwining their fingers, and Chara's shoulders go slack.

They're silent for maybe fifteen more minutes, sitting like that, before Chara drops Frisk's hands and starts to rise, dusting their jeans off. Their smile is still sad, and their eyes are glazed over, but they look relieved, almost happy, in a way.

“I have to go,” they say quietly. “The others are getting bored without you; they're throwing a surprise party later on.” Frisk watches as they deliberate, bouncing up and down on the balls of their feet. “I'm sorry. Take—take care of...” Chara stops, almost like they're deciding what to say. “Mom… and Dad, okay?”

Frisk nods. _Of course I will_.

Chara smiles in return, and for once it looks genuine enough. “I'll still be here, you know?”

 _I'll find a way_ , Frisk promises. Chara's expression shutters with surprise. _To save you_.

“You don't have to do that.”

 _Yes, I do_. _I have to save everyone; you know that_.

“Bye, Frisk,” they say. It's not an answer, it's them sidestepping the words. Frisk takes it anyways.

 _Goodbye_ , they reply.

Chara is gone, just like that, their voice halted and silent. Frisk can still feel their presence, even if they can't see or hear them—and so they pick themself off the ground, dusting themself off like Chara had.

It's not a long walk back to the others, so they start trudging along the dirt and rocks, bruised and bleeding still from their battles but alive. And that, to them, is really all that matters.

 

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is romanoffbarnes, even tho im not on it a lot. please talk to me about these children and throw sad headcanons at me as i lie on my back.
> 
> (also this is the first actual fic ive written and finished in a while?? wo w)


End file.
